Michael Zorc, Borussia Dortmund sporting director, declared that the Bundesliga club saw Reus as staying with them in the “long run”. However, he has been linked with a move to Arsenal for a number of summers, almost moving to the Emirates three years ago.

The doubts which remain in both United and Arsenal minds relate to his injury record. So far, Reus has yet to play this season after suffering a cruciate ligament injury in the 2017 German Cup final.

Dortmund hope Reus will resist the temptation to move to a bigger club, pointing to Mario Goëtze’s unhappy spell at Bayern Munich as proof that the grass is not always greener elsewhere.

While Reus has always made his happiness at Dortmund clear, he is equally frustrated by the injuries he suffers. It might be that in his own mind he feels a move away from the Bundesliga might the best way to push his career forward.